Kia Announces New Mild-Hybrid Technology

Designed to merge with existing vehicles and dramatically reduce CO2 emissions

Kia Motors has announced its brand new, innovative, mild-hybrid technology and plans to introduce the first 48V diesel mild-hybrid powertrain model to the UK market in the second half of 2018.

The Kia Sportage will be the first model to offer the new EcoDynamics+ diesel mild-hybrid powertrain later in 2018. The all-new, third-generation Kia Ceed will be the second among a range of Kia models to offer the new powertrain from 2019 onwards.

The 48V mild-hybrid powertrain is the first example of the new technology to be launched as part of Kia’s wider powertrain electrification strategy. Going forward, Kia plans to launch 16 advanced powertrain vehicles by 2025, including five new hybrids, five plug-in hybrids, five battery-electric vehicles and – in 2020 – a new fuel-cell electric vehicle.

The powertrain technology is also designed in such a way that integrating the EcoDynamics+ mild-hybrid system into existing vehicle architecture is relatively straightforward, meaning that every Kia will have the potential to go hybrid.

The Kia mild-hybrid powertrain is also uniquely designed to fit seamlessly into consumers’ lives, as no plug-in recharging will be required. The system harvests kinetic energy from the vehicle during in-gear deceleration and braking, then uses the power to recharge the batteries, enabling power to be delivered and recuperated seamlessly.

So not only does the new ‘EcoDynamics+’ powertrain reduce CO2 emissions by supplementing acceleration, the mild-hybrid technology actually offers a compelling cost-to-performance opportunity for the driver too, making the decision to go hybrid that bit simpler!

The system is controlled by an advanced Electronic Control Unit (ECU), which calculates the most efficient use of the available energy and adjusts accordingly, taking into account the amount of charge remaining in the car’s batteries, so you can drive assured that you’ll never run out of charge!